Scenarios
1940 Fort Eben-Emael 1940-05-10 · Roof of Fort Eben-Emael on the Albert Canal, Belgium · Small-unit actions
Terrain map Your role You lead Squad 4 of Group Granite and are its senior NCO: some eighty engineers in eleven gliders. If the commander fails to arrive, you lead the squads on the roof.
Higher commander's intent Wreck the casemates and turrets straight after landing so the fort cannot fire on the three canal bridges, then keep the garrison shut in below until the ground troops arrive.
Situation Enemy: fort establishment about 1,200, about 750 present, mostly gunners. On the roof are AA machine guns, wire, steel cupolas and concrete casemates, but almost no trenches or mines. A neighbouring fort and field guns can shell the roof.
Mission At dawn on 10 May Group Granite lands by glider on the roof of Fort Eben-Emael, neutralises the guns that can fire on the canal bridges and holds the roof until relieved by ground troops.
One-page print version
Sources McRaven, The Theory of Special Operations (NPS thesis, 1993), ch. II: The German attack on the fortress at Eben Emael (interviews with Witzig and Wenzel, 1992; Mrazek 1991) — Naval Postgraduate School (PD_US_GOV)Battle of Fort Eben-Emael (bibliography: Lucas 1988, Tugwell 1971, Vliegen 1988, Harclerode 2005; Dunstan 2005, Saunders 2005) — Wikipedia (CC_BY_SA)Fort Eben-Emael (layout, garrison; bibliography: Mrazek 1991, Kauffmann 2002, After the Battle 5, 1974) — Wikipedia (CC_BY_SA)Schlacht von Fort Eben-Emael (Werk numbers, 11:30 surrender, Portsteffen 07:00) — Wikipedia (de) (CC_BY_SA)Hitler’s Secret Attack on the World’s Largest Fort — HistoryNet (COPYRIGHTED)Eben-Emael (Martin Cherrett) — World War II Today (COPYRIGHTED)Fort d’Eben-Emael museum — Association Fort Eben-Emael (COPYRIGHTED)OpenStreetMap: fort outline and block positions (Bloc I, Maastricht 1/2, Visé 1/2, Coupole 120, Mi-Nord/Sud, Canal Nord, Bloc IV), ODbL — OpenStreetMap contributors (UNKNOWN)
